Roy Newell이라는 영국 IT계의 거물 발견

 그동안 바빠 읽지 못했던 e-Government Bulletin 뉴스레터를 가장 최신것부터 다시 훑어내려가며 보고 있었다. 클라우드 컴퓨팅이 전자정부에 엄청난 효율성을 가져올 것이라는 칼럼 기고부터, 지난 5월에 암스테르담에서 열렸던 World Congress on Information Technology(WCIT) 에 대한 평가와 유럽위원회 산하 정부-대학 협력 연구 프로젝트 소개까지 요 뉴스레터는 나에게 따끈따끈한 먼 나라의 정보를 잘 가져다준다. 그중에서도 이게 뭐지 하며 나의 눈을 잡아끈 기사는 바로 Roy Newell이라는 노인(향년 82세)의 부고 소식이었다. 이 뉴스레터는 새로운 프로젝트나 IT 관련 행사에 대해서 소개하는 게 주된 일이었는데 왜 갑자기 뜬금없이 인물에 포커스를 맞추느냐 하는 물음을 불러일으켰다. 하지만 이내 그의 존재가 적어도 영국 안에서는 거물급이라는 사실을 바로 알 수가 있었다. (참고로 e-Government Bulletin은 영국의 Headstar라는 미디어 회사가 발행하는 웹진이다)

 그가 영국 국회 정보통신위원회(PITCOM. 우리나라 문방위 정도에 해당되지만 좀더 정보통신 쪽에 치중하였다)의 설립 회원 중 한명이며 British Computer Society(영국 내의 IT 산업 종사자인 직장인과 대학생 그리고 연구원과 정부기관에게 능력 인증, 취업 알선, 교육을 해주는 기관으로 한국과 비교하면 대한상공회의소 비슷한 느낌인데 IT에만 집중한 그런 기관 정도가 되겠다)의 설립 회원 중 한명이라니, 말 다했다.

 하지만 Google에서 Roy Newell을 치면 뉴욕에 기반을 둔 어떤 미술가만 많이 나오고 이분에 대한 정보는 잘 나오지 않는다. 사람의 유명한 정도와 오프라인 사회에서의 영향력이 검색결과에 꼭 비례하는 것은 아니라고 생각한다. 특히 이분과 같이 나이가 50을 넘어가셨다면, 기업 외의 영역에서 일을 하시는 분이라면 더욱 더 그러하다.

 Roy Newell은 2010년 7월 24일 82세로 생을 마감했다.


원문 (출처: http://www.sussex.bcs.org.uk/contact/newell/)

Roy Archibald Newell MA(Oxon) MSc FBCS CITP MIMIS

1927–2010

Roy was a founding member of the BCS, of PITCOM (the Parliamentary IT Committee), of the Sussex Microcomputer Group and of the BCS Sussex Branch. He held significant roles in JAPONITE, QCA, AGI, PMG, RTC, BETT and IMIS, where he promoted BCS interests and activities.

Roy's special contributions were in the area of personal networking within the BCS and its associated professional circles, and also the wider political and educational communities. These enabled him to develop and promote branch and national BCS interests.

Roy had been Council Regional Representative for several terms and had represented the Sussex Branch on Branches Board since 1967. During that time, for extensive periods he represented the Board on Specialist Groups Board, Professional Development Committee, Publications Committee, Conference Committee and also made contributions from time to time to Education Committee.

In addition to his work on national committees and boards, Roy had been a member of London Branch Committee, Disabled SG Committee, Developing Countries SG Committee, GIS SG Committee. For a number of years he had been a Referee for BCS Awards and was previously a BCS Systems Analysis Examiner. As a member of BCS Sussex Branch, he had served as Chairman, Secretary and probably all the other committee roles.

For many years Roy represented the Sussex Branch on the SE Engineering Council Forum, Neighbourhood Engineers bodies and the SE Professional Council Coordinating Committee. He played a major part in significant local BCS conferences for the Disabled, Data Protection, Electronic Commerce, and so on.

During the last decade of his career he was senior lecturer in the Computing department at London South Bank University, where he had responsibility for the courses for the resettlement of MoD staff.

Through his many contacts, Roy was largely responsible for many of our Branch annual programmes. He wrote prolifically for our Branch Newsletter, together with a number of national computer-related publications.

In 2008, Roy was made an Honorary Fellow in acknowledgement of his outstanding contribution to the Institute. He was also a Chartered IT professional (CITP).

Roy passed away on Saturday 24th July 2010 just before his 83rd birthday. He is survived by three of five children from his first marriage and three children from his second marriage.